2017 AUDI Q3 light

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail ­
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
74
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wir ing, swi tches, an d relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us­
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in­
stall ex tended mirro rs . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
- If a tra ile r has e lectr ical brake s ple ase no te
t h at these b ra kes are not activated by the
factory -fit ted contro l unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the traile r h itch, d o no t
s t o re it in your vehicle. In case of sud den
braking, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in ­
jure you or yo ur passenge rs.
- Never install a "we igh t distribu tin g" or
"loa d eq ualizing" trailer hitch on your veh i­
cle . The vehicle was not designed fo r these
kinds o f trailer hitches. The hitch attach­
ment can fail, ca us ing the tra ile r to tear
loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance la­
be l on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must never
be exceeded under any circ umstances . Ex­
ceed ing the Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing of
your veh icle is likely to damage yo ur vehicle,
a nd such d amage will no t be covered by
your Limi ted New Vehicle W arra nty . Exceed­
ing the Gross Ve hicl e We ight Rating will al ­
so change the pe rformance and han dling
characte ristics o f yo ur vehicle, which could
cause a crash result ing in se rious injury or
death.

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Operating instructions
6" r-2
~·~
1/2"
1·1/2"
ill
Fig. 79 Perm itted ball pos itio n of th e t rail er hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible trailer weight is
2,200 lbs (1,000 kg) . The maximum permissible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
These specifications apply when driving on roads having an incline of less than 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approximation of
the tongue load with a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible load on the ball
hitch may not exceed 220 lbs (100 kg) .
It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
load.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 76 .
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable ball mount and ball¢
fig. 79. Installation of the
hitch ball must be carried out in accordance with
the manufacturer's instructions .
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the tire pressure label
¢page 181. In­
flate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
ond consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a highly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require-
ments and vehicle loading considerations. .,.
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Trailer towing
Sp eed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
dr ive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, w eather or wind
conditions are unfavorable -particularly when
going downhill.
Red uce vehicle speed
immediatel y if the trai le r
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swayin g by ac cele rating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for reg ular
ve hicles.
A lways apply b rakes early . When dr iving down­
hi ll, shi ft into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperatu re gauge ¢ page 8 must
be observed ca refully . If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im ­
mediately and/or turn off the air conditioner .
I f t he coolan t temperature warn ing light i n the
instr ument cluster s tarts flashing ., pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi .
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and dif ­
fe rent weight d istr ibut ion . Safety, performance
and economy w ill great ly depend on how careful­
ly you load you r trailer and operate your rig .
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Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep pract icing unt il yo u h ave be ­
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up w ith a trailer generally req uires steer ­
i ng action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­ erate as fast as you normally wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
- If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
¢ page 218.
' Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot bra ke .
.,. Have someone place cho cks under bot h the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With choc ks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake .
.,. Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking :
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Start the eng ine .
.,. Move the se lector lever to D/S.

Ass is t
Assist
Speed warning system
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be­
low o specified maximum speed that con be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system".
The speed warning system warns you if yo u are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set.
A warning tone will sound as soon as your speed
exceeds the stored value slightly. The
(OJ (USA
models)
I Hll (Canada models) indicator light
and a message appear in the instrument cluster
d isplay at the same time. The
Hll![t] indicator
light and the message t urn off if the speed falls
b a ck below the stored maxim um speed.
Sett ing a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certa in
maxim um speed. Situations where yo u may want
to do so i nclude dr iving in a cou ntry w it h a ge ne r­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires .
Setting the warning threshold
Select: !CARI fu nction button > (C ar) Systems *
control b utton > Driver assi st > Sp eed warning .
(0 Tips
Regardless of the speed wa rning sys tem, you
should always monitor yo ur speed using the
speedome ter and ma ke sure you are following
t he legal speed limi t.
78
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive a constant speed that is 30 km/h or higher.
0
f
®l
0
Fig . 80 Operat ing lever: cru ise control system
5:
"' 0 ± .. To switch the system on, pull the lever into po-
sition
(D ~ fig. 80.
.. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The
(ij;\1)~1~ ( U SA mode ls)/ B (Canada models)
indicato r light turns on in the instr ument cluster .
&_ WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic a round
you when the cruise contro l system is in op­
erat ion. You are always respons ible for your
speed and the distance between your ve hi­
cle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons , cruise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traff ic, on
w inding roads and when road condi tions a re
poor (such as ice, fog, g ravel, heavy rai n an d
hy dro planing), because this inc reases t he
r is k of an accident.
- Switch the cr uise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exi ts
or in constru ction zones.
- P lease note th at "res ting" your foo t on the
a ccelerator pedal un inte ntiona lly can resul t
in ac celeration tha t overrides the c ruise con -
-
trol system . .,.

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@ Tips
The cruise control system cannot maintain
the speed cons istently if you are driving on
steep hills. The vehicle weight ca uses the
speed to increase. Due to th is, shift into a
lower gear in t ime or apply the brakes .
Changing speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
~ To inc rease or decrease the speed in incre­
me nts, push the lever towa rd
0 10 ~ page 78,
fig. 80.
~ T o inc rease o r decrease the speed quickly , hold
the leve r in the
0 10 direction until the de­
si red speed is displayed .
Overriding the cruise control system
Applies to: veh icles with cru ise control system
You can a lso press the accelerator pedal down to
increase your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you set earlier w ill re­
sume as soon as you release the accelerator ped ­
al.
However, if you are exceeding the stored speed
by a cons iderable amount for a long time, the
cru ise control system will temporar ily switch off .
The
M;ll)~i~ (USA models) 1 B (Canada models) in­
d icator light in the instrument cluster turns off
and the sto red speed is maintai ned.
Preselecting the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
~ Switch the ign ition on .
~ Pull the lever into position (D c:> page 78,
fig . 80 .
~ To inc rease o r decrease the speed, push the lev-
er toward
0 10 .
~ To store the speed disp layed, release the lever .
This f unct io n ma kes it possib le, for examp le, to
save the speed yo u wan t before dr iving on the
hi ghway. Once on the h ighway, ac tiva te the
cru ise control by pu lling the lever toward
(D .
Switching off
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
Temporary deactivation
~ Press the brake pedal, or
Assist
~ Press the lever into position @ (not clicked into
p lace)
c:> page 78, fig. 80, o r
~ Dr ive fo r longer t han five minutes at mo re than
6 mph ( 10 km/h) above the sto red speed .
Switching off completely
~ Press the lever into position @(clicked into
place), o r
~ Switch the ignit ion off.
The speed you stored will be maintained if the
c ruise contro l has been switched off temporarily .
T o resume the stored speed, re lease the bra ke
pedal and pull the lever into pos ition
(D .
Switching the ignition off w ill erase the stored
speed .
,&. WARNING
You should only resume the s to red speed if it
i s no t too high fo r exis ting t raffic conditions.
Otherw ise you can inc rease the risk of an acci ­
dent .
79

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Audi drive select
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
Drive select makes it possible to experience dif­
ferent types of vehicle settings in one vehicle.
The driver can selec t from three modes,
Comfort,
Auto
and Dynamic , using the ~:/:a button in the
center console or by using the Infotainment sys­
tem . This allows yo u to switch between a sporty
and a comfortable driving mode, for example.
Description
App lies to: ve hicles with Audi drive select
The following systems, among other things , are
influenced by drive select:
Engine and automatic transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and auto­
matic transmission respond more quickly or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission shifts at higher speed ranges.
Suspension control*
The adaptive dampers use sensors to record in­
formation regarding steering movements, brak­ ing and accelerat ion operations by the driver,
road surface, driv ing speed, and load . With dr ive
select, you can adjust the adaptive dampers to
sporty (dynamic), comfortable (comfort) or bal­
anced (auto).
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering assis­
tance . Indirect steering that moves easily as in
comfort mode is especially su ited to long drives
on a highway . In contrast, dynamic mode pro­
vides sporty, direct steeri ng.
Cornering light*
The cornering light adapts to driving on curves .
The pivoting action and the lighting also adapt to
the mode.
Assist
(D Tips
The 5 selector lever position automatically en­
gages if the dynamic mode is se lected.
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to: vehicles wit h Audi drive select
Fig. 86 Cente r console : dr ive se lect button
Fig. 87 Infota inment sys tem: drive select
" To set the mode, press the r:i:., button repeat­
ed ly until the desired mode is displayed in the
instrument cluster. Or
" Select in the Infotainment system:
ICARI func-
tion button
> Comfort , Auto or Dynamic .
You can change the driving mode when the vehi­
cle is stationary or while driving . If traffic per­
mits, after changing modes, briefly take your
foot off the accelerator pedal so that the recently
selected mode is also activated for the engine.
Comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on highways.
Auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
namic driving feel and is suited for everyday use .
Dynamic -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driving style.
83

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Parking systems
General information
Applies to: ve hicles with a rea r parking sys te m /pa rking sys­
tem plus/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, va rious
pa rking aids wi ll help you when parki ng and ma­
ne uveri ng.
The
r e ar parki ng sy stem is an a udible parking a id
that warns you of obstacles
behind t he vehicle
¢ page 85.
The parking sy stem plus ass ists you when park ­
i ng by aud ibly and v isually indicating objects de­
tected
in front of and behind the veh icle
¢ page 86.
The re ar view camer a shows the area beh ind the
ve hicle in the Infotainment system d isplay . This
d isp lay assists you when you are cross or parallel
pa rking . Th e pa rking system pl us functions are
a lso available
¢ page 87.
A WARNING ,~ -
- Always look for traff ic and check the area
around your veh icle by looking at it directly
as well . The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attent ion. The driver is always
responsible when enter ing or leav ing a pa rk­
ing space and dur ing similar maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
- Senso rs and cameras have blind spots in
wh ich peop le and objects cannot be detect­
ed . Be especia lly caut ious of small children
and animals .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator gr ille, bumper,
wheel housing and the unde rbody . The park­
ing system may be impa ired as a result .
H ave an author ized Audi dealer or au thor­
ized Audi Serv ice Facili ty check their func ­
t io n.
- Make s ure the senso rs a re not o bstruc ted by
st ickers, deposits o r othe r ma ter ial s. If they
are, the senso r funct ion could be impa ired.
F or additiona l information on cleaning, see
¢ page 191 .
Parking system s
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected or displayed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles o r fe nces
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex ­
tensions
- Objects w ith certai n surfaces or structures
such as c ha in li nk fe nces or powder snow
- If you conti nue driving closer to a low ob­
ject , it may disappear from the sensor
range . Note that you will no longer be
wa rned about t his obstacle.
(D Tips
- The system may p rovide a warning even
tho ugh the re are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situa tions, such as:
- certain road s urfaces or when there is tall
g rass.
- externa l ultrasonic sources such as from
clean ing vehicles .
- in heavy rain, snow, o r th ick vehicle ex ­
ha ust.
- We recommen d that you practice par king in
a traff ic -free loca tion or pa rking lot to be ­
come fam iliar with the system . When doing
this, there shou ld be good light and weath­
er conditions .
- You can change the vol ume and pitch of the
signa ls as well as the display ¢
page 90.
- Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trai ler located in
¢ page 91.
-What appea rs in the infotainment display is
somewhat time- delayed.
Rear parking system
Description
Applies to : vehicles wit h rear parking system
The rear parking system is an audible parking
aid .
There is a sen sor in the rea r bumper cover. If
these detect an obstacle, audible s ignals warn
you .
85

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
Elect ronic Stabilization Control (ESC) suppo rts
driver safety.
It red uces the risk of slipping and
improves dr iving stability. ESC detects crit ica l sit­
uations such as the veh icle oversteering and un­
dersteering or the wheels are sp inning. The vehi­
cle is stabilized by app lying the brakes or reduc ­
ing engine torque. When ESC engages, the
G1 i n­
d icator light blinks in the inst rument cluste r.
The fo llow ing systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti -lock b raking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from loc king when brak­
i n g . The vehicle can sti ll be steered even d uring
hard brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brake assi st sy stem
The brake assist system can dec rease braking dis­
tance. It increases brak ing power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
until the dangerous situat io n is over .
Anti- s lip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive w heels
begin spinning and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and dr ive up h ills .
Electron ic differential lock (EDL)
The ED L bra kes wheels that a re spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or wheels if the ve hicle is equipped with a ll
wheel drive*) . This funct ion is not ava ilable at
h igher speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to keep the brake on the braked wheel from over­ heating. The vehicle is still work ing correctly. EDL
92
will switch on again au tomatically when condi ­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC he lps to s tabili ze the vehicle by cha ng ing
t h e s teer ing torque .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel to rque cont rol is used when d riv­
i ng o n curves . The front whee l on the inside of
t h e curve or both wheels on the i nside of th e
cu rve are braked se lective ly as needed. This al­
l ows mo re pre cise driving in curves .
Automatic post -collision braking system
The "automat ic post -coll is io n braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sl iding and of addi­
tiona l co llisions after an acc ident. If the a irbag
c ontro l modu le detects a collision above a cert ain
vehicle speed, the veh icle is braked by the ESC.
The veh icle does n ot brake automatically if:
- the drive r presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the bra king force generate d by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the b raking force
that would be in itiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the bra ke system or the vehicle elect ri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integ rated systems can not
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
p hys ica l laws. This is es pec ially impo rtan t
on sl ippery or wet roads. If the systems be­
gi n a cting to stabili ze yo ur vehicle, you
s hould immedi ately alte r your speed to
match the road and tra ffic conditions . Do
not let t he in creased safety provi ded tempt
you into taking risks . This could increase
your r is k of a coll is ion.
- Please note the r is k of a coll is ion increases
when dr iv ing fast, especially th rough c urves
and on slippery or wet roa ds, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
ve nt co llisions - there is st ill a risk of acci­
dents!